How Important is the Post Position Draw to Bettors for the Preakness Stakes?
While not nearly exciting as the post position draw for the Kentucky Derby, the post position draw for the Preakness Stakes does matter, albeit to a lesser extent. As such, once the draw takes place, the Preakness Stakes odds rarely shift significantly as opposed to the Derby where an outside start could wreak havoc on the odds.
The Preakness hasn’t produced much confirmation that inside posts are unfavorable when compared to the Kentucky Derby. Actually, this could prove opposite.
“The inside always has a big edge at 1 1/16 miles,” said Bill Brasaemle, who calls result charts in Maryland for Equibase. “The rail is never dead.
Horses breaking from the rail have won 24 percent of the time at Pimlico.
American Pharoah went on to win the Triple Crown two years ago starting from the number one spot at the Preakness Stakes.
As far as recent stats go, the second-best post position for any horse at the 2013 Preakness Stakes would be the No. 9 spot.
In recent history, since 1989, six winners of the Preakness Stakes had started at the seventh post position and won.
